


Love in London

by Pokeluv101



Category: Servamp (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-08
Updated: 2020-05-08
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:02:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24074872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pokeluv101/pseuds/Pokeluv101
Summary: Mahiru goes to London for a photography job and meets Kuro. (KuroMahi, Modern AU)
Relationships: Kuro | Sleepy Ash/Shirota Mahiru
Kudos: 44





	Love in London

Mahiru adjusted the focus of his camera to capture a photo of a coffee shop. He was a cook but he would take photos as a hobby. His friend was opening a franchise in London and asked him to take a few promotional pictures of the café. He had never traveled outside of Japan before and he was excited for the opportunity. The city was beautiful and he hoped he could take a few pictures after he finished. He would have to wait until Misono returned because Mahiru didn’t speak the local language.

He set out a tea set on the table outdoor and he carefully staged the cup. Mahiru stepped back and positioned himself so he wouldn’t be reflected in the café’s window. He had decided to take photos outside since the day was beautiful. He took a few photos but then he felt a light breeze pass over him. As he adjusted his hair, he wondered if he should take the food inside.

He looked through his camera lens again and a black blur pass over the screen. A loud crash caused Mahiru to look up and he gasped. In the short moment he looked away from the food, a cat had jumped onto the table and stole one of the finger sandwiches he made. Mahiru jumped to his feet and he rushed to stop the cat from eating anything further. He was worried that the sandwich could make the creature sick.

The cat scurried away from his hands and its tail knocked a cup over the table. Mahiru groaned lightly and tried to grab the agile cat again. “Drop that sandwich, Kitty. You’re going to make yourself sick if you eat that. I’ll cook you something delicious if you give back that sandwich.”

In answer, the cat jumped off the table and ran past him. He watched the cat leap into a man’s arm and he gently took the sandwich from its mouth. While it whined in disapproval, the cat started to purr contently after he stroked its fur. The man walked to Mahiru with an apologetic smile and spoke to him in English. _“I’m sorry. My cat must’ve smelled the food and ran here.”_

 _“… Sorry. My English is bad. I don’t understand.”_ Mahiru struggled to remember everything he learned in high school. English was his worst subject at the time. He glanced around them and hoped that Misono would return early so he could translate for him.

“Do you speak Japanese? I know the language.” The man offered and relief passed over his face. Kuro thought the way his expression softened was beautiful. He blushed slightly and added, “I’m sorry my cat ruined your lunch. I’ll pay for another meal and that broken cup.”

“It’s fine. I wasn’t going to eat it anyways. I know bread can be harmful to cats but what about ham?” He asked and the man shook his head. Mahiru peeled the ham slice of the bread and held it out to the cat. He giggled as he watched it eagerly nibbled on the meat. “My friend owns this shop and I’m sure he won’t be upset if I tell him it was an accident. I’m taking some photos for his menu and advertising.”

“We can also have Ash use his soothing cat face on your friend if he does get mad.” He suggested and lifted the cat slightly. “My name is Kuro and this little troublemaker is Ash. I’ll help you clean up this mess. It’s the least I can do since my cat was the one who caused this mess.”

“It’s okay. I’m sure Ash didn’t mean to cause a mess. My name is Mahiru. Your cat is adorable.” Mahiru rubbed his finger over the black cat’s head and smiled at it. In response, it purred happily. Kuro was slightly surprised by how quickly Ash grew fond of the man. He had rescued the cat from the street so it was wary of strangers. It would take it time to trust others. Then again, Mahiru’s bright eyes likely drew many to him easily.

Mahiru leaned away from him and turned his attention back to the table. He piled the food and broken dishes on the tray. “I’m going to take this back inside before anyone hurts themselves on the shards. I’ll have to make more food to display too. Hopefully, I’ll still be able to finish in time. I wanted to visit Hyde Park and take pictures there.”

“Is there anything I can do to help? This is my fault since I let Ash run away.” Kuro said. Mahiru thought over his offer and an idea came to him.

“Please sit here and wait for me to come back with more props. It should only take me a few minutes to prepare everything.” Mahiru pulled out the chair for him. He gave Ash a light pet before he went into the café. He didn’t know what Mahiru intended to do but he assumed he would simply help him set up food and props for the photoshoot.

Kuro sat down and watched Mahiru through the window. He couldn’t see anyone else in the café and he wondered if Mahiru made the food himself. He felt guilty that his cat had interrupted his work and caused him trouble. Beside him, Ash pawed at the window to get Mahiru’s attention. He chuckled and patted its head. “A man gives you a slice of ham and a smile and you want to run off with him. Can’t deal.”

Mahiru walked out with a new tray of food and tea. As Kuro started to stand, he placed his hand on his shoulder to stop him. He took his chin between his fingers and tilted his face up slightly. Their faces were close to each other and it caused his heart to flutter. Mahiru didn’t seem to notice as he said: “The lighting is perfect. Stay like this.”

“What?” He couldn’t find anything else to say as Mahiru arranged the food on the table. He also set a bowl of water in front of Ash.

“You two will be perfect for the menu’s cover. The café’s name is ‘The Black Cat Café’.” Mahiru told them and pointed to the sign hanging over the door. “Misono want to draw in the locals with a relaxed and casual atmosphere. You’re handsome and fit that description perfectly. Ash will be an adorable mascot as well. When Misono comes, we can discuss a payment for modeling for us.”

“I’ve never modelled before. At least I don’t have to do much but sit here. I get free snacks too.” Kuro joked and ate a cookie from the plate. He was pleasantly surprised by how sweet they were. He thought Mahiru wouldn’t care about the taste since he was only taking photos. “We can tell your friends that you paid me in food. These are really good. You also found my cat so I owe you a favour.”

“I’m glad you like my baking. I thought they would end up being wasted after the photoshoot. There’s more in the kitchen.” He took a few steps back and took a photo of Kuro with Ash. They continued to speak and Mahiru thought it was nice to talk with someone again. Misono had been busy with his new business so Mahiru wasn’t able to explore the city with a friend. “May I ask how you learned Japanese?”

“When I was young, I needed money so I worked as a tour guide. I picked up a few languages to help tourists. I’m a translator now.” He told him. “If you want to take photos at Hyde Pair, you might enjoy walking through the rose garden. It’s one of the newer additions but people really like it.”

“London’s architecture is different from Japan but it has a quaint charm. I would love to explore as many of the attractions as I can. Once the café is open, I might be too busy to visit the attractions.” Mahiru’s voice was full of excitement.

“Does your friend know English? It might be best if you explore the city with him since you don’t know the language. You seem like a good and trusting guy. There are people who will try to take advantage of you if they think you’re a tourist. I don’t want you to get ripped off or be pickpocketed by someone. London is a safe like Japan but you should be cautious.”

“Will you take me on a tour?” Mahiru asked and lowered his camera. “I think I have enough photos for the café so my afternoon is free.”

* * *

Kuro couldn’t count the number of times he visited London’s famous attractions due to his time as a tour guide. Yet, Mahiru made everything feel new and enchanting. Half a year had passed and he had taken him throughout London. They had grown close in that time. They walked through the garden Kuro showed him the first day they met.

Mahiru had asked him to take a walk with him through Hyde Park before it closed. They simply talked as they enjoyed the roses around them. “Tokyo and London are more similar than I thought it would be. The city is busy and there’s a thousand different things going on at once. There are also beautiful places like this where time slows down. Whenever I feel homesick and I’ll come here. Thank you for showing it to me. I have a present to thank you.”

“You didn’t need to buy me anything.” Kuro shook his head but Mahiru held out a small box to him. He couldn’t help but smile when he found a wallet inside. On the corner of the wallet, a cartoon cat drinking coffee was carved into the leather. He opened the fold and discovered a photo framed in the wallet. “This is from the first day we met.”

“I hope you like it.” Mahiru said as Kuro tucked the wallet into his pocket. He hooked his arm around Kuro’s and started to lead him back to the entrance. He leaned his head against his shoulder and joked. “It’s dark but I’ll protect you from people who would try to pickpocket us. We should get going before the park closes.”

“Actually, there is one part of the park I want to show you.” Kuro stopped him and took him back into the park. He could see bright lights ahead of them and the soft blue glow contrasted the night sky. Mahiru was curious about what he intended to show him but he trusted him. They stopped behind a short gate and he said, “They’re preparing for the Winter Wonderland attraction.”

“The Christmas lights are beautiful.” He said breathlessly. Mahiru was pulled out of the moment when Kuro stepped over the gate. He quickly took his hand and whispered worriedly to stop him. “We can’t trespass while they’re working, Kuro. We might get in trouble.”

“This is part of the surprise. My brother works here and I asked him if we can walk around. I thought it would be nice to enjoy it before it becomes crowded. He said it’s fine since they’re already finished everything.” He reassured him. For a moment, Mahiru hesitated to break the rules but then Kuro tenderly squeezed his hand. Kuro’s warmth drew him into the wonderland.

As he climbed over the gate, Kuro placed his hand on his waist to help him keep his balance. Mahiru held his hand once they were on the other side. Nervous butterflies filled his stomach and he couldn’t remember the last time he felt so excited. Holding hands, they walked through the park at night. “This is gorgeous, Kuro. I can’t wait to see this place covered in snow. It’ll be so festive.”

“The weather network says that it would snow next Friday. Do you want to go with me? Together?” With the moonlight and streetlight, Mahiru was able to see Kuro’s blush.

“Like a date?” His question made his blush grow. Kuro awkwardly pulled his hood over his head to hide how flustered he was. Mahiru giggled and placed his hand on his furred hood. Gently, he pulled him down until he could kiss his strong jaw. “Pick me up at the café after it closes.”


End file.
